Our collaborative research informs and shapes the innovation roadmaps of organisations across the world. We are advancing and applying learning to the benefit of national and international industry, service provision, individuals and the general public.
Making a practical difference
Our education, research and consultancy are geared to making a practical difference in the world. Our research is relevant and is informed by our leading thinking. We work in close collaboration with many organisations to turn ideas and innovation into reality. By doing just that, we transform people, organisations and the world.
Creating a safer world
Four of the six Queen's Anniversary Prizes Cranfield has been awarded are for our work in making the world a safer place:
- Large-scale soil and environmental data for the sustainable use of the natural resources in the UK and worldwide, 2017;
- Safe water and sanitation for the world's poorest communities, 2015;
- Aviation safety through research and training in air accident investigation, 2011;
- Humanitarian demining, 2007.
Real-world applications
- Innovation in the welding process delivers large savings to the oil and gas industry
- Assessing the potential of vertical axis wind turbines for the offshore market (NOVA)
- Influencing national policy on gender diversity on top corporate boards
- Autonomous vehicle research award
- Understanding ice formation to improve aircraft safety
- Reducing fresh produce waste through improved packaging
I’m proud of the fact that we can have an impact on what’s happening in the world. We’re not just making widgets or turning out stuff that might make a difference to individuals, we’ve got a chance here to influence the way the world works.
Stan Collins, Process Systems Engineering Laboratory Manager
Supporting international development
Cranfield’s mission is to be a global leader in education and transformational research in technology and management. However, we also consider our role in transforming global agendas for social good an important part of this mission and are focused on empowering under-developed countries to utilise research to stimulate their economies. For example, Cranfield is leading a project investigating the hydro-social and environmental impacts of sugarcane expansion in Sub-Saharan Africa funded by the Belmont Forum, a consortium comprised of the world’s major funders of global environmental change research.
Our links with Africa are long-standing and build on our research in tea production, water, agriculture, irrigation, soil science, and ecosystems. This can be demonstrated by example activity such as the Sue White Fund for Africa, which supports African students to study at Cranfield for a PhD award.
We also have a number of projects ongoing in other countries such as Brazil, China and India across a variety of disciplines, including informatics expertise to support commodity market analysis (e.g. the Cranfield World Soil Survey Archive and Catalogue), capabilities in corporate sustainability and governance (e.g. through our Doughty Centre for Corporate Responsibility), and significant contributions to innovation and entrepreneurship agendas (e.g. via our Bettany Centre).
Hence, Cranfield is committed to supporting the transformation of countries around the world using our expertise and knowledge in partnership.
